Consultancy
Equipping leaders to lead faithfully and effectively
Paul operates within a personal Code of Conduct
Paul offers his consultancy services on a 'pay what you can afford' basis.
Find out how Paul is supported and see suggested amounts for services.
WHAT IS CONSULTANCY AND HOW MIGHT IT BENEFIT US?
How do we lead people forward in unity?
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How can we work together more effectively as a team?
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How healthy is our leadership culture?
With research skills, experience in mentoring and management, and theological insights, Paul can help leaders of churches and organisations in diverse contexts find answers to questions like these.​
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The idea of making use of external consultants and mentors is well established in the world of business, but less familiar to many churches and Christian organisations for two main reasons :
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COST - businesses have large budgets for consultancy, whereas churches and Christian organisations often run on minimal budgets.​​
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CONFIDENCE - leaders in Christian settings sometimes lack confidence that consultants will given them advice that is consistent with their convictions and may worry that a consultant interferes with the autonomy of the church.
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Paul's approach can overcome both of these barriers because it is:
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AFFORDABLE - Paul provides his services on a 'pay what you can afford' basis. His suggested rates are much lower than leadership and management consultants usually charge.
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BIBLICALLY FRAMED - Paul's approach to consultancy, as with all ministry, is Christ-centred, gospel-shaped and Bible-based. Any advice he gives will be informed by these commitments.​​
​​Paul can be a trusted critical friend to:
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mentor you (men only) for growth in faith and ministry;
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guide or help you through a process of strategic planning;
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conduct thorough research into your context.
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MENTORING
Support for leaders in personal life and ministry
A trusted spiritual friendship with listening, prayer and biblical wisdom. Mentoring leaders in Northern Ireland in person and mentoring leaders elsewhere online.
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Please note, Paul only offers mentoring to men.
What is the focus of mentoring?
A mentoring jorney with Paul can be:
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a) General - walking with you for a period for your growth in faith and ministry through whatever comes.
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b) Focused - working on a particular aspect of ministry or through a specific need or experience. Paul can provide focused mentoring in any of the following areas:
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Discipleship and spiritual life
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Leadership
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Pastoral Care
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Preaching and teaching
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Relationships
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Sabbaticals
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How does one-to-one mentoring work?
The most important thing for mentoring to work is that you commit to honest and open communication and to seeking the Lord's leading to change.
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The process Paul follows in arranging mentoring is:
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1. You request mentoring through the form linked below. Paul will review your request and may decline it if he has no capacity or, feels he cannot help you. Alternatively, he may invite you to a one to one meeting or to join a group for facilitated group mentoring.
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2. Mentee Starting Information Form. If Paul agrees to a one-to-one meeting, he will send you a link to this form in advance to gather the information he needs to help you.
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3. Initial meeting. Paul always has an initial meeting with no commitments. This allows both you and him to decide an ongoing mentoring relationship promises to be helpful. In some cases, one meeting is sufficient to help and in others it becomes clear that Paul is not the best person to mentor a person. This meeting will last between 60-90 minutes and will mainly consist of Paul listening to you with occasional clarification questions, followed by prayer. If you are a leader based in Northern Ireland, Paul prefers to have this meeting in Lisburn and you should expect to pay for refreshments.
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4. Ongoing meetings. If Paul and you agree to an ongoing mentoring relationship, Paul will schedule a set number and frequency of meetings with you. Typically this is monthly for six to twelve months. Each meeting is normally between 60 and 90 minutes long and includes conversation and prayer, possibly with Bible reading.
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What is facilitated group mentoring?
In group mentoring, Paul gathers a several people who agree to a mentoring journey together. Over an agreed period, the group will meet regularly. Paul's role is to facilitate participants in helping each other to grow in faith and ministry. If that interests you, please contact Paul.
STRATEGIC PLANNING
Guidance and advice to plan wisely and effectively
Strategic planning means identifying priorities and goals and making plans to work towards them in a way that is consistent with your vision.
Paul can comment on your strategic plans at any stage in the process or he can work with you to design a process from start to finish. A typical planning process includes:
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Clarifying your vision - what is God asking you to do in your context as part of his mission?
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Identifying your values - what matters to you in theory (what you think is important) and in practice (how you really make decision)?
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Understanding your resources - what do you have to offer and what do you lack?
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Setting your goals - what specific things do you need to do or see happen in order to achieve your vision?
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Outlining your actions - what concrete actions will you take, in what order and within what timeframe, and what resources will each need?
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Throughout this process, communication is key. You need to know who to listen to - most importantly, the Lord, but also key stakeholders - and how to explain what you have decided and why so others come with you. Paul can help you do this well.​​
POLICY ADVICE
Help to ensure policies and position papers are sound
Churches and Christian organisations need policies that honour the Lord and people - biblically faithful and practical.
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​Paul can help you design a policy, constitution or position paper or review it with you to help you identify points where it is unclear, may require further theological thinking, or may not be consistent with good practice.
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This may include:
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policies for membership, service or employment.
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position papers on theological or ethical issues.
Paul is not a lawyer or an HR expert, but he has extensive experience in writing and overseeing policies and position papers in churches and Christian organisations.
PASTORAL ADVICE
Advice or mediation in difficult situations
An external ear and voice can really help leaders understand issues better and know how to resolve difficulties.
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Paul is available to advise leaders on a biblically-faithful and relationally wise approach to complex pastoral needs, leadership decisions, and conflict situations. He can also serve as a mediator in conflict situations.
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Paul is committed to listening well and reflecting back what he hears as well as offering advice based on Scripture and his extensive ministry experience.
RESEARCH
Surveys and focus groups to gain deep understanding
Someone with skills in research can help you see what you might have missed, to gain deeper insights and to show people you've listened well.
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Paul has experience in designing, delivering and reporting on research projects in Christian settings. He uses a mixture of quantitative (counting and analysing numbers) and qualitiative (hearing and summarising perspectives) approaches to create a clear picture. These skills were used effectively in his Masters and PhD research and he has overseen student research projects and chaired a research committee for a public body. His main tools are anonymised surveys and focus groups. He has helped a number of churches in this way.
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Areas where research might help you include:
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Leadership culture - identifying stengths and weaknesses in how you lead and how your leadership impacts others.
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Contextual insights - understanding what people in your neighbourhood, members of your church or stakeholders in your organisation value, what they feel they need, and how they perceive your church or organisation.
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Spiritual health - taking stock of the maturity and spiritual temperature of a group of people.
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Team dynamics - assessing how well you work together as a team and appreciating the diverse contributions team members can make.
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Paul will work with you to develop a project in one of these areas or another you identify, drawing on his experience and insights from other contexts.
